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Moto E To Arrive On Republic Wireless Next Month For Only $99

By - Source: Republic Wireless | B 3 comments

Republic Wireless, the MVNO that puts an emphasis on cheap unlimited data plans with its WiFi-optimized handsets, announced that it will offer the budget-friendly Moto E smartphone for only $99, starting next month. The device joins other Motorola best-sellers on the network, such as the 2013 versions of Moto X and Moto G.

The phone will be available on Republic Wireless with the following “no-contract” plans:

  • Unlimited talk, text, and data on Wi-Fi only - $5/month
  • Unlimited talk and text on Wi-Fi and cellular, and unlimited data on WiFi - $10/month
  • Unlimited talk, text and data on Wi-Fi, plus 3G cellular - $25/month

The Moto E comes with a dual-core 1.2 Ghz Snapdragon 200 (based on Cortex A7 CPU cores), 1GB of RAM, 4.3” screen, qHD (960x540) resolution, 5MP rear camera, 4GB of internal storage, microSD slot with support for up to 32GB, FM Radio and a 1980 mAh battery, and it runs Android 4.4.  It also comes with Gorilla Glass protection, a feature not usually found on such low-priced devices. Motorola also gives the option to pick from many shells of different colors.

In many ways, the Moto E is similar to the recently unveiled Android One smartphones from India. Moto E initially launched as a $129 phone from Motorola, and while the price was reasonable for its features, it didn’t feel nearly as a big of a breakthrough as the Moto G did when it was launched, in terms of value per dollar.

This is why most reviewers were still recommending that users pay $50 more and get the Moto G instead. A price point of $99 would’ve made a much bigger splash in the media and could’ve given the phone a bigger boost in popularity. Republic Wireless appears to understand this, which is why it’s offering the phone at that $99 price point.

The carrier believes Moto E is “not an iPhone killer but a flip phone killer”. Many people still use feature phones, or want a budget smartphone for their children, and the Moto E looks like the right choice for them, especially when coupled with one of the low-cost unlimited plans from Republic Wireless.

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  • 0 Hide
    Beastshaw , September 17, 2014 5:09 PM
    Love my Republic Wireless Moto G. People spend wayyy too much on high end phones and tons of 4g data. Signed up for the $10.00/month plan and haven't looked back since.
  • 0 Hide
    Mon ChiChi , September 17, 2014 5:49 PM
    Republic Wireless is, BY FAR, the worst service provider I have ever had. RW has been a 'disaster' company ever since they opened for business back in 2011. They've just never been able to get the technical side or customer service side of the business right. And after all this time, they refuse to offer features that have become the industry standard - no BYOD, no customer service (other than public forums where confused customers try to help each other resolve problems), no short codes, only a single 4G phone is available, etc. With T-Mobile and Sprint duking it out in their price wars, and now T-Mobile and iPhone offering free wi-fi calling, a small, second-party reseller like RW, who is charging $45 a month for a piggy-backed VOIP service on 4G, just isn't much of a bargain anymore - not since they were touting themselves as the low-cost alternative to the big boys.
  • 0 Hide
    metalfan49 , September 18, 2014 9:24 AM
    I've used Republic for about a year now, and have been quite happy with the service. Started on the (painful to use) Defy XT, and now enjoying a Moto X with the $10/month Talk+Text plan. I was happy to find a carrier that does not require you to purchase an overpriced data plan to simply use a smart phone on the network. I have WiFi saturating me all day long, so I don't need to pay for Cellular Data.

    Republic does have company customer support via a ticket support system, and live chat. Republic only uses VOIP for WIFI calls, when WiFi is not available, native cellular voice calling is used. I do agree though, that with the current increasing competition and other good options, I would not even consider using the $45 LTE plan on Republic. There’s some push for them to offer some more compelling LTE options.
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